The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Pelargonium.times.domesticum known by the varietal name Duke (Oglevee No. 408; Walters No. 14W-O). The new variety was discovered by Mr. Ernest Walters in a selected breeding program in Hucknall, Nottingham, Great Britain. The new variety is a selection from the crossing of P. citrosum.times.quercifolium.times.Lady Mary Fox. The new variety was first asexually reproduced in the United States by cuttings at Oglevee, Ltd., Connellsville, Pa. in January of 1987. The new variety has been asexually reproduced by cuttings at Oglevee, Ltd. in Connellsville, Pa. over a several year period. It has also been trialed at Connellsville and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.
The cultivar when grown in a glass greenhouse in Connellsville, Pa. using natural light and 60.degree. F. night and 68.degree. F. day has a response time of 14 weeks from a rooted cutting, once pinched, to flowering in a 6 inch pot. The response time was determined on plants grown in soilless media employing constant fertilizer 150-200 parts per million of nitrogen and potassium in full light. The rooted cuttings were potted on Sep. 24, 1990 and flowered on Jan. 4, 1991.